PB trap team earns win at Linn Creek

Poplar Bluff’s high school and junior high trap teams traveled to Linn Creek, Mo., last weekend for the Paul Larson Memorial Shoot and put on a clinic for the field of nearly 1,000 competitors.

The high school’s A Squad, consisting of Garret Cooper, Tayler Hillis, Dylan Hale, Austin Stoner and Andrew Miller, topped the entire field, earning the win with a score of 488 out of 500.

It was the first time Poplar Bluff’s team has won the event in the 14 or so years they’ve been competing in it.

Hillis also earned first place in the ladies division with a score of 99 (out of 100). Stoner won the freshman division with a score of 99, and Cooper took second in the freshman division with a 98.

Poplar Bluff Junior High School's A Squad includes Lukas McCoy, Jakob Valenzuela, Madison Cash, Scotty Sanders and Eli Depew.Photo provided

Poplar Bluff’s junior high A Squad, consisting of Lukas McCoy, Jakob Valenzuela, Madison Cash, Scotty Sanders and Eli Depew, earned second place in their division with an overall score of 417.

Several team members scored their personal bests during the competition, including Chase Pruitt and Cash with 25 straight, Hillis with 50 straight and Stoner with 75 straight.

“Our team’s focus and determination paid off last weekend,” said coach Mike Miller. “We have a great group of kids, and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

The team’s next event will be an ATA shoot, to be held May 4 at the Poplar Bluff Gun Club.

Tough Hunting

We’re now deep into the third and final week of Missouri’s spring turkey season, and things have been pretty quiet lately.

Starting about the middle of last week, gobbling dropped off dramatically and has remained minimal since. That’s a sure sign the few gobblers around have hens roosting with them, and it makes hunting frustrating, especially when the ladies lead them in the opposite direction. It’s just the normal process of the spring breeding season, and things should get better, hopefully before the season ends.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the statewide harvest was at 31,323 birds. With only a few days remaining in the season, the overall total remains slightly above last year at this point.

Locally, the number of turkeys killed remains low. In Carter County, hunters have tagged 121 birds, and in Ripley County, they’ve taken 133.

Butler County hunters have checked 74 turkeys, and in Dunklin County, a mere seven have been taken.

Stoddard County has been a stronghold locally, and hunters there have killed 169 birds so far. In Wayne County, the total number of turkeys taken is 197.

The rain this week isn’t helping hunters stay out in the field (even though it can be good for hunting), and this weekend’s forecast looks like a mixed bad, with some rain Saturday but better conditions on Sunday.

The season closes at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Sifford Tournament

Saturday’s Wappapello Crappie Club/Chris Sifford Memorial Crappie Tournament saw 33 teams compete in Wappapello Lake’s rising waters.

Tim Doublin and Rob Rowland topped the field to take the win, bringing 8.51 pounds to the scales at the weigh-in. The pair’s winning weight was aided by the day’s biggest fish, which weighed in at 2.04 pounds.

Taking second place was the team of Brody Roper and Brandon Miller with 8 pounds even.

Third place was earned by Anthony Sifford and Bryce Sifford with 7.76 pounds.

Funds raised at the tournament each year are used to provide scholarships to Puxico High School seniors, and this year’s recipients include Sophia Hancock, Destiny Doublin and Scotty Isaac.

The Wappapello Crappie Club will fish again during a club tournament on May 25.

Water Up Again

Wappapello Lake started rising sharply yet again last week, and this time it is expected to get up to around 372 feet before topping out on Saturday.

At Clearwater Lake, the water is coming up fast and it is expected to crest Monday between 515 and 520 feet.

Both crest predictions are based on rainfall already on the ground and don’t take into account any further rains.

The Current River also has risen dramatically. At last check, it was expected to crest Thursday in Van Buren at 16 feet, and in Doniphan at 14 feet. That amount of water isn’t insignificant and it would be wise to stay off the water until it recedes.

The Black River also is up, and it was expected to crest Thursday at 11.5 feet, the highest its been in a while.

Needless to say, the lakes are off-color and have a bit of current to them as water is drawn through the dams, and the rivers are particularly dangerous at the moment. If you want to go fishing, your best bet would be an alternative, like Duck Creek or Cypress lake at Otter Slough.

PKC Hunt

The Butler County Coon Club has a PKC hunt scheduled for Friday evening.

The activities should begin around 8 p.m. at the clubhouse, which is off County Road 607 south of Poplar Bluff/

Terry Uhl is the contact, and he can be reached at 576-714-1624.

Bass Club

For competitive anglers, the East Ozark Bass Club has a tournament scheduled for Saturday at Wappapello Lake, with fishing based out of the Chaonia public ramp.

Fishing is slated to begin at 6:30 a.m. and conclude at 2:30 p.m.

I don’t have any contact info for this organization, so if you want to fish their event, you probably can register on-site the morning of the tournament.

Angler’s Choice

If you don’t get your fill of bass fishing on Saturday, the Angler’s Choice circuit has a tournament scheduled for Sunday, again on Wappapello Lake.

This tournament also is based out of the Chaonia public ramp, and fishing will kick off at 6 a.m.

Fishing will end at 3 p.m. and the weigh-in will follow.

Ken Owens is the tournament director and can be reached at 573-820-3715.

Groundhog Season

If you’re looking for a different kind of challenge, Missouri’s groundhog season, which opens Monday, may be just the ticket you’re looking for.

Granted, there aren’t a whole lot of groundhogs around these parts, but there are some, and they can be fun to pursue.

Most people use a varmint rifle in a small centerfire caliber like a .223 or .22-250 and take their shots from a distance, but trying to sneak close and using a .22 rimfire also is fun.

There’s no limit on groundhogs, so if you find some, have some fun.